Overview

A hired gun from the future discovers that his greatest adversary is himself in this twisting sci-fi mindbender starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and directed by Rian JohnsonBrick, The Brothers Bloom. In the year 2047 time travel has yet to be invented. Thirty years later, however, it has. Though immediately outlawed, time-travel technology is quickly appropriated by the mob, and used to cleanly dispose of anyone deemed a threat. The process is simple: When the mob wants someone to disappear, they ...

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Overview

A hired gun from the future discovers that his greatest adversary is himself in this twisting sci-fi mindbender starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and directed by Rian JohnsonBrick, The Brothers Bloom. In the year 2047 time travel has yet to be invented. Thirty years later, however, it has. Though immediately outlawed, time-travel technology is quickly appropriated by the mob, and used to cleanly dispose of anyone deemed a threat. The process is simple: When the mob wants someone to disappear, they simply send them back to the year 2047, where an assassin known as a "looper" quickly carries out the hit, and disposes of the body. Joe Simmons Gordon-Levitt is one of the most respected loopers around. Each kill earns him a big payday, and he's got big plans to retire to France. Then, one day, as Joe patiently awaits the appearance of his next target near the edge of a remote corn field, he's shocked to come face-to-face with his future self Bruce Willis. When the younger Joe hesitates, the older Joe makes a daring escape. Now, in order to avoid the wrath of his underworld boss Jeff Daniels, young Joe must "close the loop" and kill his older counterpart. Meanwhile, the revelation that a powerful crime boss in the future has set the underworld ablaze pits the two Joes on a violent collision course, with the fate of a devoted mother Emily Blunt and her young son hanging in the balance. Paul Dano and Piper Perabo co-star.

Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide
- Jason Buchanan

Filmmakers are forever struggling to come up with a new take on time travel, and in his third film Looper, writer/director Rian Johnson Brick, The Brothers Bloom toys with some familiar elements in a way that makes them feel fresh, exciting, original, and unpredictable. Add to that the compelling twist of Joseph Gordon-Levitt wearing his best Bruce Willis smirk, and you've got all the ingredients for a highly watchable, smartly written sci-fi actioner that adds up to more than the sum of its derivative parts. In the year 2047, time travel has yet to be invented. Thirty years later, however, it has. Although immediately outlawed, time-travel technology is quickly appropriated by the mob, and used to cleanly dispose of anyone deemed a threat. The process is simple: When the mob wants someone to disappear, they simply send them back to the year 2047, where an assassin known as a "Looper" quickly carries out the hit, and then disposes of the body. Joe Simmons Gordon-Levitt is one of the most respected Loopers around. Each kill earns him a big payday, and he's got big plans to retire to France. Then, one day, as Joe patiently awaits the appearance of his next target near the edge of a remote corn field, he's shocked to come face-to-face with his future self Bruce Willis. When the younger Joe hesitates, the older Joe makes a daring escape. Now, in order to avoid the wrath of his underworld boss Jeff Daniels, young Joe must "close the loop" and kill his older counterpart. Meanwhile, the revelation that a powerful crime boss in the future has set the underworld ablaze pits the two Joes on a violent collision course, with the fate of a devoted mother Emily Blunt and her young son hanging in the balance. A great concept can carry a film a long way. Even setting aside its stellar cast, assured sense of style, and careful attention to detail, Looper is nothing if not a great concept. Like a pulpy Twilight Zone episode served in future noir trappings, Johnson's screenplay wastes no time immersing us in the particulars as Joe knowingly introduces us to the concept of a Looper and details that initially seem incidental gradually start assembling into a bigger, more vivid picture. Meanwhile, it's all presented against the backdrop of a future that feels particularly lived-in. From floating motorcycles that simply won't start to junk cars with solar panels hastily slapped on the hoods and doors, everything in Looper feels cutting-edge, yet somehow on the verge of collapse. It's an aesthetic that not only recalls Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys -- another inventive tale of time travel starring Willis -- but also offers a much welcomed change of scenery from the stereotypically slick, impossibly hi-tech gloss cast over most Hollywood sci-fi endeavors. But none of this would work very well if the cast didn't sell it wholeheartedly, and thankfully everyone in the lineup, from the top-billed to the supporting players, put in the performances needed to immerse us in Johnson's ambitious story. Much as he did in Brick, Johnson creates a carefully drawn world in Looper that exists by its own particular set of rules. As laid out by Gordon-Levitt's character, and later, Jeff Daniels doing most of his acting from behind a desk, but delivering a fantastic speech that establishes the high stakes of life as a Looper, those rules coalesce into something genuinely compelling, and Johnson adheres to them in a manner that's unwaveringly faithful without being rigid or clinical. Likewise, after the rules are established and the tone is set, Johnson's screenplay confronts viewers with an expertly conceived character conflict that adds an entirely new, somewhat dangerous, dynamic to the story. It's a small yet logical touch that ups the stakes in ways we might not have foreseen, and while it's also the point where Looper may become a bit predictable for some, it's the kind of flourish that makes up in execution for what it lacks in originality, proving once again that Johnson is the kind of filmmaker capable of shaping the conceits of the past into a bold new vision.

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Customer Reviews

Brian-Jezuit

Posted January 12, 2013

I was surprised as to how engrossing this film is. 1st off, it d

I was surprised as to how engrossing this film is. 1st off, it did have a few big aspects going for it right from jumpstreet-before I even put the disc in; a) I'm a huge Willis fan &amp; have over a dozen of his films in my DVD library, b) I absolutley love Emily Blunt ever since I saw her in 2010's &quot;The Wolfman&quot;, &amp; c) ANY dramatic, non-comedy role w/ the great Jeff Daniels is something that I'm going to check out. These reasons are why I purchased the film prior to viewing it. I knew that I'd want it in my collection, I just didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The directing by Rian Johnson is terriffic, Levitt is perfect for the role of 'young Joe', &amp; the makeup he wore (to make himself look like a young Willis) is stunning. I give him tons of credit here because he not only had to play the Joe character, but he also had to play the physical &amp; vocal mannerisms of Willis-both of which he did amazingly well! I've always been into the subject of metaphysics-how EVERYTHING in the physical world is connected 1 way or another, &amp; how (if time-travel were a reality) altering 1 slight aspect of the past can &amp;/or will alter the course of the future. This film is a metaphysical sci-fi/action bonanza! I've viewed it 3 times now (&amp; it's only been out on disc since New Year's Eve) &amp; I know that it will be 1 of those films that I'll watch @ least twice/year. It's fast-paced, very well-written, extremely well acted, &amp; just dosen't seem to get old. I give it 5 stars w/out any hesitation. It's 1 of the best movies that I've seen in 2 years!

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The box quotes "cool" and "original." NOT.

The box quotes &quot;cool&quot; and &quot;original.&quot; NOT. Other than making a hash of all other time-travel flicks, it mixes in ugly mobsters, Back to the Future evil guy and flying motorcycles, ultra gun and kick violence throughout (&quot;cool&quot;?), future with abandoned rusty factory (Aliens?) containing a time-travel sterilizer with chicken wire, hyper-evil future murdering little boy, and horny females who love any sweaty old guy who comes along. This must have been modeled on a really-bad video game by a 9 year old writer. Time travel gangsters in black wearing Hassidic saucer hats?! Scene with Bruce machine-gunning a hallway full of bad guys (Taxi Driver?) and dodging bullets?! Lifting furniture (Knowing?) and signboards asking for you to be tested for telekenetic power?! This movie is so full of you-know-what that no amount of Spoilers could ever cover it. After seeing the suicidal ending, you may wish it had happened instead in the first minute, and left Emily Blunt to save the future from homeless terror.

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